2019 Year in Review
Even though my blog is now ten years old, I haven’t been posting here as much as I used to. I’m posting more on Pop Culture Beast, which I like. I’ve been kind of busy this year, I guess. However, I love posting my Year in Review articles and here’s the next one. Overall, this was an okay year for new releases.
NEW ALBUMS
Lucifer’s Friend
Black Moon
Rating: ****
Now four years since reuniting, German hard rockers Lucifer’s Friend released Black Moon this year. Serving as the follow up to 2016’s Too Late to Hate, Black Moon is a superior album in both production and variety of songs. While Too Late to Hate wasn’t a bad album, it wasn’t a perfect album. With their second reunion album, the band came up with a new batch of tunes- going through their variety of styles during their original incarnation. With that, Black Moon makes for an enjoyable nostalgic trip.
Highlights: Call the Captain, Black Moon, Freedom, Palace of Fools, Black Moon
Hollywood Vampires
Rise
Rating: ***
Following up their self-titled debut album from 2015, supergroup Hollywood Vampires released their sophomore effort. Whereas their debut was almost all cover tunes, Rise is a mostly all originals. While the debut was an album filled will faithful renditions of classic rock tunes, at least there was a concept and theme for it. With Rise, the tunes aren’t bad but they aren’t very memorable. While I respect what Alice, Joe and Johnny are doing- this was mediocre at best.
Highlights: Who’s Laughing Now, Rise, People Who Died
Black Star Riders
Another State of Grace
Rating: ****
Serving as the follow up to 2017’s Heavy Fire, Another State of Grace is yet another killer album from Black Star Riders. The Thin Lizzy spin off band have made yet another great album- jam packed will ten new hard rockers. This album is a little more similar to The Killer Instinct in that the band seems to be drifting away from the Lizzy sound. Musically, it sounds like a Lizzy album but there’s some diversity here with the instruments used and lyrical content.
Highlights: Tonight the Moonlight, Another State of Grace, In the Shadow of the War Machine, Poisoned Heart
Iggy Pop
Free
Rating: *** ½
While nowhere near as good as 2016’s Post Pop Depression, Iggy Pop’s latest album sees him experimenting with jazz. Pop’s voice sounds great and suites the music extremely well. Still, it isn’t a perfect album as it does fizzle out towards the end. While I personally prefer Post Pop Depression, I can appreciate Free for not being a retread of it.
Highlights: James Bond, Sonali, Glow in the Dark
Ringo Starr
What’s My Name?
Rating: ***
With each of Ringo’s album, he follows a very simple formula. While not a bad album, What’s My Name is no different than Ringo’s previous albums in the last ten or twenty years. Still, you got to give the men kudos for still making music all these years later.
Highlights: Grow Old With Me
The Who
WHO
Rating: ****
FAVORITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
13 years after the somewhat underwhelming Endless Wire, the Who released a brand new studio album. The album, simply titled WHO, is a surprisingly consistent batch of songs. While Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are the only members left in the band, the two veteran rockers still deliver a great album- which range from hard rockers to ballads. As with modern day albums, the production is too loud. Still, this is an all-around good album from the Who.
Highlights: All of this Music, Ball and Chain, Detour, Break the News, I Don’t Wanna Get Wise
RANK
1. The Who- WHO
2. Black Star Riders- Another State of Grace
3. Lucifer’s Friend- Black Moon
4. Iggy Pop- Free
5. Hollywood Vampires- Rise
6. Ringo Starr- What’s My Name?
REISSUES
The Residents
pREServed Edition Series
The Residents continued their pREServed Edition Series this year with a plethora of new entries. Below are the releases that came out and the hyperlinks will lead you to my reviews on Pop Culture Beast.
Iggy Pop
Zombie Birdhouse
Rating: ****
Iggy’s long out-of-print 1982 effort was finally given a reissue on CD for the first time since 2003. After being dropped by Arista Records, Iggy was given one last chance on Chris Stein’s Animal Records Label. The album did nothing and Iggy wouldn’t record again until 1986. As a result, Zombie Birdhouse is a forgotten album. Now this isn’t The Idiot or Lust For Life. Nevertheless, this is a neat batch of tunes and an underrated album.
Highlights: Run Like a Villain, Life of Work, The Villagers, Bulldozer, The Horse Song
The Beatles
Abbey Road
Original Album rating: *****
Remix rating: ***
Session tracks: ****
Following up the White Album box set from last year, Abbey Road was next to be reissued. While my all time favortie album by any artist, the super deluxe edition of this album is okay at best. The new remix offers nothing new and doesn’t sound too different from the original mix. The bonus discs of studio outtakes save the set from being a bust, along with the informative hardback book.
Mick Ronson
Only After Dark: The MainMan Years
Rating (for all albums): ****
LIVE
Riot
The Official Bootleg Box Set Vol. 3
Rating: ****
RIP
Peter Tork- bassist for the Monkees
Scott Walker- singer/songwriter
Paul Raymond- keyboardist for UFO
Roky Erickson- singer/songwriter (13th Floor Elevators)
Philomena Lynott- mother of Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott
Eddie Money- singer
Ric Ocasek- guitarist/singer for the Cars
Ginger Baker- drummer for Cream
Neil Innes- comedian/musician (Rutles)
